“Polkinghorne is one of my favorite Christian voices. Who else could you read who is a world-renowned physicist and a prolific theologian and has been knighted by the Queen? In classic Polkinghorne fashion, this thin volume explores why the Scripture (even with all the problems and questions Scripture raises) is the ultimate source of beauty and truth.”—Winn Collier, Religious Herald

“John Polkinghorne is one of the most important Christian thinkers alive, respected for his contributions to science, theology, and their interface. In Testing Scripture he shows how a thoughtful believer can respect the insights and authority of Scripture without getting mired in the quicksand of biblical literalism. I highly recommend this accessible and informed survey.”—Karl Giberson, author or coauthor of seven books, including Quantum Leap: How John Polkinghorne Found God in Science and Religion

Scientist and theologian John Polkinghorne is one of the world’s leading authorities on issues of science and faith. In this compelling work, he provides a fresh, honest look at key themes of the Bible from an analytical and rational perspective, offering a series of insights that have helped him in his own engagement with the Bible. Polkinghorne tackles the questions a modern Western thinker might bring to the Bible, including issues of Scripture and authority, contradiction and ambiguity, and the creation and fall. He also addresses theological challenges of the Old Testament, the Gospels, and the writings of Paul. “I have written this little book in the hope that it will be helpful to those who are seeking a careful and thoughtful engagement with the Bible in their quest for a truthful understanding of the ways of God and the nature of spiritual reality,” writes Polkinghorne. His nuanced approach will be appreciated by any reader with an open and inquiring mind who is interested in the intersection between science and Scripture.

John Polkinghorne, KBE, FRS, is internationally known as both a physicist and a priest. He served as president of Queens’ College, University of Cambridge, prior to his retirement. He is founding president of the International Society for Science and Religion, a member of England’s Royal Society, and the bestselling author of more than thirty books. He was awarded the Templeton Prize in 2002.

“Speaking from his role as an evangelical leader, Wallis asks Americans to move from satisfying their appetites to living their values day-by-day: ‘People were made for family, community, and human flourishing, not consumerism, materialism, addiction, and empty overwork.’

“Wallis prophetically criticizes the damaging role money is playing in politics, and he is upset about the growing inequality between the rich and the poor. He ends with praise for the old fashioned values of marriage and parenting, noting with pride his love of being a Little League coach.”

Some of the Best of the Best of 2012:

“I finished this book with the conclusion that the Gospel does not depend on the historicity of Adam, but that doesn’t mean that this discussion is meaningless. A lot has to change for conservative Christians if they decide to abandon the historicity of Adam. Debates over everything from the nature of Scripture, to hermeneutics, to worldview, to gender roles, to eschatology can be impacted by one’s understanding of Adam (and Eve).

“If you are not satisfied with the ‘Bible v. Science’ paradigm this book may be a useful tool in beginning to reassess how you think about a lot of things.”

“This one was a very tough call, given The Walkable City . . . and Chuck Marohn’s . . . Thoughts on Building Strong Towns. But my nod goes to Eric Jacobsen’s Christian case for cities, The Space Between, because of its freshness.”

“Since Jacobsen’s 2003 Brazos Press introductory book Sidewalks of the Kingdom, many were hoping that the Presbyterian pastor turned new urbanist would write a more substantial follow up, taking readers further into the fascinating study of our built environment.

“His nearly decade of further study, writing, speaking, and engaging this interdisciplinary field has paid off with extraordinary fruitfulness, and Jacobsen’s new book is, without a doubt, one of the most important books in the field, and should be considered to be one of the most important books of the year.”

Announcing “The Evolution of Adam Blog Tour”

We are excited to announce that The Brazos Blog will be hosting a blog tour for Peter Enns’ new book The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible Does and Doesn’t Say about Human Origins from Jan. 30th to Feb. 3rd.

During that week, we have enlisted some wonderful bloggers to review and interact with this important book. As these bloggers post about the book, we will be linking their reviews on this site (and possibly hosting a few blog entries ourselves!). We will also be giving away copies of The Evolution of Adam and other titles.

Check here next Wednesday for more details on the book giveaway and a full list of participants.